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Reviews by Blendtec

91

Great remake of a classic series.

I'll admit, I was skeptical of a Tomb Raider reboot, it could've easily just been Uncharted with more T&A. I'm pleased to say it's so much more than that. Lara Croft is back and she's learned a lot from Nathan Drake and Desmond Miles. Tomb Raider features cover shooting, light parkour, QTEs and some object collection. If that all sounds familiar, it's because this is a modern third person action game, but it blends these elements so superbly you won't even mind. I can only hope more games follow TR's example and do away with "snap cover". Instead of that tired old system, Lara moves fluidly around the world both in and out of combat. Even in the most gamey parkour platforming bits, everything just feels natural and fun (I'd recommend using a controller though). The gunplay is standard for the genre, but Lara's got a nice variety of weapons and dodging tricks to keep it fresh. You can spot QTEs miles away, but they too blend seamlessly into the action, and luckily aren't infesting cutscenes. The optional collection objects are also in obvious locations, but again thanks to the movement system, they're fun to get. The story and characters, much like Uncharted, are just interesting enough to keep your attention. You'll figure out the twists long before Lara and company even suspect a thing. My only complaints lie with the actual tombs and just how silly some equipment elements feel. Tombs are few and far between, and the puzzles within are laughable at best. Even without the ingame "survival instincts", or hint vision, the hardest ones shouldn't take you more than a few minutes. Much like a Zelda or Metroidvania, your new gear opens new areas or improves your ability to traverse old ones. I was a full third of the way through the game before Lara found a piece of metal suitable for making sparks and torches, yet I had to wait longer still to find a lighter to make fire arrows. I know I should expect this given the genre and influences, but it still just feels a bit forced. That said, Tomb Raider is visually stunning and a perfect fusion of many of the gameplay elements we've come to expect from this generation, and as such is one of the best games I have played in years.